The present invention relates to techniques to evaluate behavior so that causes and/or intentionality (purpose) of time based events or acts can be identified; learned behavior can be analyzed; and responsive conduct can be predicted.
In the past, investigators desiring to study learning, behavior or stimulus/response interplay had to spend years observing activities of the subject and related subjects. Even when timebased video tapes, movies, audio tapes and notes were extensively compiled, it was virtually impossible to identify and analyze similar behavior in an efficient, scientific, and methodical manner. Additionally, since different researchers may perceive the same act in the same species or organism in a different light, their different methodologies made it difficult to establish a consistent basis for comparison. Thus, the majority of behavioral studies were anecdotal and were not amenable to statistical analysis or even side by side comparison.
Systems have been developed for indexing single sets of information and retrieving information, whether textual or visual, for viewing. However, these systems have been designed simply to read and observe the information and possibly append related information. For example, material presented in books, encyclopedias, magazines, catalogs, etc. and related visual information (i.e., still or moving pictures) can be stored on digital recording media or in a computer memory. This information can then be accessed interactively, i.e. simultaneously presented on both audio and visual equipment. Prior art systems, such as the Grolier CD-ROM based encyclopedia, had limited access to various types of information. The Grolier CD-ROM allowed access to textual information but did not have the capability of storing and accessing pictures or sound. Other systems, such as the World GeoGrahics software, a graphics based atlas, allowed access to visual images but only provided access to textual material directly connected to the graphic image selected. U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,671, issued Aug. 31, 1993 to Reed et al, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a multimedia search system using a plurality of entry path means to retrieve similarly coded textual and graphical information stored in a data base so that the information located in different data bases can be simultaneously presented by different media modes. However, neither Reed et al. nor the other prior disclosed systems disclose or suggest that they can be used for comparing, analyzing, or predicting repetitive behavior in a life form.
Thus there is a need for a system which will allow a researcher to readily access information regarding repetitive behavior of life forms contained in voluminous multimedia information databases for comparison. There is also a need for researchers to simultaneously observe precursor and responsive behavior in the same subject performing the same or similar activity over a period of time. There is still a further need to be able to readily observe, compare and analyze different subjects or different species showing similar behavior in the same or disparate environments.